Computer Recommendations and Discounts

Overview

Central College recommends that all students bring a computer to campus, preferably a laptop that is easy to carry from place to place. While Central does provide many computer labs for student use, students' academic work will be enhanced if they have a computer of their own.

Central also provides Microsoft Office software free of charge for students, which is needed to complete academic assignments on personally-owned computers.

Hardware Requirements

See the table for minimum requirements. Also consider how you will use the computer.  For instance, keep in mind that movies and music take up lots of hard drive space, and that games generally require a better graphics card. We do not support Linux, although our network does allow this operating system. We also suggest that users are aware of the limitations of notebooks or Chromebooks. These products often come with a small price tag and also a smaller than typical hard drive. Problems occur when students load a lot of software, pictures and music on the notebook\Chromebook. These devices can be used on campus, but we suggest using the online version of Microsoft Office and plan on using an alternate storage area. The online version of Microsoft Office is available with each Office 365 subscription.

If you buy a new computer for the upcoming school year, we recommend the following configuration:

Computer Discounts

Several online retailers provide technology discounts for students.  This page lists some of the more popular options.

The following vendors have special pricing for Central College faculty, staff and students. Click on the links below for more information.

NOTE: Some, if not all of these deals, are for a limited time only.  If they are no longer valid, please contact the Help Desk (641-628-7010) so we can update this page.

Questions

For additional information contact the ITS Help Desk at 641-628-7010 or helpdesk@central.edu.
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